Howard tells me he is taking a break from regular contributions to this forum, so I have moved his 'column' from its prominent position.

May I say how much I have welcomed everything he has written here, and how pleasing it is to see his pieces appearing regularly in both Independents, The Word, and elsewhere. He is a very fine writer, able to balance the personal and the objective, always coming up with allusions and references nobody else had thought of.

Howard, I hope you are not upset by some of the comments in that sometimes vitriolic thread of a week or so ago. I did think about defending you from fairly unfair comment, but thought a) I didn't want to prolong a slanging match and b) you can look after yourself. Don't think anyone else shares that particular opinion. Your interjections and theories will be missed, so I hope you return to the fray refreshed in the New Year. Have a good and musical break. Do return to pay us a visit.

Can I add my agreement to all said immediately above? I liked Howard's contributions - you could almost feel the adrenalin flowing, the brain cells on overdrive and the fingers sweating over the keyboard. The energy and enthusiasm kept the discussion going, when, otherwise, it would have stopped.

Nice to see you and Marcia last week at Garth's girlfriend's do. But I turned around and there you...weren't. I was just about to talk to you about Bowie bootlegs too. I dunno... Take it easy, look after yourself, have a fab Christmas and a happy New Year and looking forward to talking to you again soon - either through the machine or in person.